Second in a new series from national bestselling author Kylie Logan, The Secrets of Bones is a riveting mystery following Jazz Ramsey as she trains a cadaver dog. Assembly Day at St. Catherine’s dawns bright and cloudless as professional woman gather from all around Ohio to talk to the schoolgirls about their careers ranging from medicine, to NASA, to yoga. Jazz Ramsey has also signed up to give … has also signed up to give the girls a taste of her lifelong passion: cadaver dog training. Her adorable new puppy Wally hasn’t been certified yet, so she borrows the fully-trained Gus from a friend and hides a few bones in the unused fourth floor of the school for him to find.
The girls are impressed when Gus easily finds the first bone, but then Gus heads confidently to a part of the floor where Jazz is sure no bones are hidden–at least not any that she’s put there. But Gus is a professional, and sure enough, behind a door that no one has opened in ages, is a human skeleton. Jazz recognizes the necklace the skeleton is wearing, and that it belonged to Bernadette Quinn, an ex-teacher at the school who’d quit her job abruptly one Christmas break. But now it seems Bernadette never left the school at all, and her hiding place makes it clear: this was murder.
Bernadette in life had been a difficult personality, and so there are a plethora of suspects inside the school and out of it. As Jazz gets closer to the truth she can’t help but wonder if someone might be dogging her footsteps…
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Dollycas’s Thoughts
Jazz Ramsey works at St. Catherine’s Preparatory Academy, an all-girls school as an administrative assistant. She has been working on Assembly Day at the school where professional women come into speak about careers to the students. Jazz is given the chance at the last minute to share her passion, cadaver dog training. She is training her new Airedale puppy but brings along Gus, a fully trained dog as well. After hiding a few bones for Gus, the students are pretty impressed with his first find. His second find confuses Jazz because it is focused behind a door where she didn’t hide anything.
After clearing the room of students, Jazz opens the door to find a grisly discovery, a human skeleton wearing a necklace Jazz immediately recognizes. The necklace belonged to Bernadette Quinn, a teacher who left the school at Christmas break 3 years ago.
Now, tons of questions arise. The teacher had been difficult during her time at St. Catherine’s. Very demanding of her students and not friendly with her co-workers. She was on probation when she submitted her resignation. Jazz can immediately think of several suspects other than the police’s prime suspect. She just needs to dig into all the clues, but she is putting herself in danger too. She knows when all the secrets are revealed, the killer will be revealed as well.
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I enjoy these characters. Jazz is a strong protagonist. She is clever and thinks on her feet. She has the full trust of her boss, Sister Eileen. She is dealing with such huge things in her personal life too and needs a little TLC. Her best friend, Sarah Carrington, an art teacher at the school, tries to keep Jazz grounded, focused on her rekindling romance with Nick, but also is a great sounding board. These characters continue to evolve nicely throughout the book. The dogs did not play much of an integral part after the body was found, but Wally is a curious pup still coming into his own. It will be fun to watch him continue his training.
The mystery was pretty straight forward until the author served up a nice twist. I was tuned in early to where the story was leading but the clues were not adding up right. A murder at Catholic school really drew me in, the delay in finding the body believable, the investigation was intriguing, and that final twist set everything into place.
The author has a wonderful descriptive writing style which was so important in this story. A little-used part of the school is pressed into service and it needed to have a backstory and reason for its lack of use. Ms. Logan presented this in a believable way and depicted the area so well with her words.
The cadaver dog training is something that interests me. I hope there is more of that in the next book.
The Secrets of Bones is a great addition to this series. Quite the whodunit!
It’s Assembly Day, a day set aside near the end of the school year when professional women from Ohio come to talk about their careers. Jazz winds up as a last-minute replacement, so she sets up in the unused fourth floor, hiding a few bones for Gus, a friend’s cadaver dog, to find during a demonstration. However, Gus goes to an unused closet. Sure enough, Jazz opens it to find a skeleton. Things left with the body make it easy enough to identify the victim as Bernadette Quinn, a teacher who resigned abruptly 3 years ago. Obviously, she didn’t really resign, but what happened all those years ago?
After enjoying the first in this series, I couldn’t wait to get back and visit Jazz again. I wasn’t disappointed at all. The book is so well written I was engrossed from page one. Jazz’s world and the characters all come to vivid life, and the animals are fun. The plot gives us several good suspects and clues that are confusing until Jazz pieces it all together at the end. If you are familiar with some of Kylie Logan’s lighter cozies, know that this is a few shades grayer, falling more in the traditional realm instead of being a pure cozy. However, that is no reason to skip this book. I was so engrossed in this book, I read almost two thirds of it in one day instead of saving some for the next day like I normally would. Now comes the long wait for the next book in the series.
I think this one just might be a little better than the first one. There was some serious intrigue and mystery here [and boy was I as flabbergasted as Jazz by the end]. I *WAS* annoyed when I figured some stuff out and then had to wait for the characters to catch up [I texted a friend about how annoyed I was. Clearly I have been alone with my books for too long], but they finally did and it was all takeadeepbreathanddontletitoutuntiltheend from that moment on. And I like a book like that. And that is what keeps me reading book series’.
At one point something happens to Jazz and I was annoyed because I thought the author had used the same kind of thing in both her first book and then this one – turns out I was in the wrong mystery. LOL LOL LOL I had just finished another mystery where something similar happens to that MC as what happens to Jazz and I just had them both totally confused. It was hilarious when it finally dawned on me. This is the kind of stuff that happens when you read close to 100 mysteries a year!!
Jazz is a great main character and I love her interaction with Sister Eileen and even with Nick [he’s much less of an asshat in this book and that is a nice change] and I ADORE the addition of Wally. I cannot wait to see how training goes for the pup and for Jazz and he to go out on a case together. That was the only thing that was really missing here – more about the cadaver dogs and what they do. This one was based more in Jazz’ day job [and was very good – I just missed the dogs].
This is absolutely a series that I will keep reading.
Thank to NetGalley and St. Martin Press/Minotaur Books for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
“The Secrets of Bones” by Kylie Logan the 2nd instalment in the “A Jazz Ramsey Mystery“ series. I really enjoy this series and plan on buying book one “The Scent of Murder“.
Even though this was the first book I have read by this author, I was able to read it as a stand-alone with no problem. I found myself engrossed in the story right away and reading it in almost one sitting.
The mystery is interesting and well plotted, and I loved the characters of Jazz and sister Eileen which are well developed. I also liked learning about cadaver dogs and the training that is involved.
Kylie Logan is definitely an author I will be following in the future and I can’t wait for book 3 to come out.
I highly recommend this series to all my mystery loving friends.
I requested and received an Advance Reader Copy of this book from Minotaur Books and NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my OWN.
Synopsis:
Second in a new series from national bestselling author Kylie Logan, The Secrets of Bones is a riveting mystery following Jazz Ramsey as she trains a cadaver dog.
Assembly Day at St. Catherine’s dawns bright and cloudless as professional woman gather from all around Ohio to talk to the schoolgirls about their careers in medicine, at NASA, and as yoga instructors. Administrative assistant Jazz Ramsey is involved herself, giving the girls a taste of her lifelong passion: cadaver dog training. Her adorable new puppy Wally hasn’t been certified yet, so she borrows the fully-trained Gus from a friend and hides a few bones in the unused fourth floor of the school for him to find.
The girls are impressed when Gus easily finds the first bone, but for the second Gus seems to have lost the scent, and heads confidently to a part of the floor where Jazz is sure no bones are hidden—at least not any that she’s put there. But Gus is a professional, and sure enough, behind a door that shouldn’t have been opened in decades, is a human skeleton.
Jazz recognizes the skeleton as Bernadette Quinn, an ex-teacher at the school who’d never returned after one Christmas break, though letters and postcards from her had seemed to indicate there was no cause for worry. But now it seems Bernadette never left the school at all, and her hiding place makes it clear: this was murder.
Bernadette’s strident personality means there are a plethora of suspects inside the school and out of it, and as Jazz gets closer to the truth she can’t help but wonder if someone might be dogging her footsteps . . . (Amazon)
Review:
The author is very talented in her descriptive writing and these descriptions pulled me into the story from the very beginning. The writing style flows smoothly and the book is an easy read. The mystery was well plotted and there were enough suspects to consider and clues to sort through. I was actually surprised how the book ended, and it was a pleasant surprise.
The characters are well rounded and well developed. I like the fact that Jazz works at a catholic girls school, that can provide a lot of interesting situations in the future. I like Sister Eileen, she is spunky and smart and she and Jazz work good together. Nick is back and Jazz is getting closer with him, and that is a good thing. I am disappointed that Wally was not in the book more, he only made an appearance a few times. I wish that Wally was in the book more, with his training and doggies antics. Maybe in book three, Wally will be more present.
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a well crafted cozy mystery. I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series when it is published.
I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the publisher, St. Martin’s Press, and NetGalley, which I greatly appreciate.
This book was full of so many twists and turns. At a few points I thought I knew where the story was going, which only made me want to read faster. I enjoyed the way the author wove in more serious topics in a way that didn’t get too deep or stressful for the reader. I am a dog lover, but did not know anything about cadaver dogs or what training they go through, so the nuggets of info sprinkled into this series on that topic are always of interest to me.
https://cozyexperience.com/the-secrets-of-bones-book-review/
St. Catherine’s all-girl school has arranged for professional woman all over the country to gather and talk to their schoolgirls about potential careers.
Jazz Ramsey has signed up to promote her passion … cadaver dog training. Her adorable new puppy Wally hasn’t been certified yet, so she borrows the fully-trained Gus from a friend and hides a few bones in the unused fourth floor of the school for him to find.
Gus surprises them when he signals a find …. behind a door that no one has opened in ages, is a human skeleton.
The clothing and a necklace point to the identity of the skeleton belonging to Bernadette Quinn, an ex-teacher who abruptly quit her job 3 years ago. Evidently she may have quit .. but she never left the school.
The story takes the reader back to the years prior to Bernadette resigning and her obsession with a student, Mandy. Bernadette was not well liked, she was religious to the point where she felt all students should abide by her own personal rules of conduct. But who disliked her enough to kill her?
There are plenty of suspects, as Jazz discovers, who have varied motives for wanting the woman dead. Jazz learns that Bernadette also had secrets that are just now coming into the light.
The more Jazz searches out the truth, the more personal danger she faces.
This is a page-turning mystery with deftly drawn characters. Suspects abound with varied, multiple motives leading to a surprising ending. Although second in the series, this is easily read as a stand alone. I do recommend reading THE SCENT OF MURDER first, though. The dogs are always a bonus and Wally, Jazz’s pup, is a pure delight.
Many thanks to the author /Minotaur Books / St Martin’s Press / Netgalley for the digital copy of this crime/mystery. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
Wonderfully descriptive and gripping, THE SECRETS OF BONES is a well written yarn heralding more to traditional mystery than author Kylie Logan’s other cozier mysteries. Its Catholic School historic building setting provides the perfect backdrop in which to find a long dead murder victim.
Jazz is the administrative assistant at the school, but her real love is training cadaver search dogs. Given the opportunity to show off a friend’s dog’s skills at the school’s career day, all goes well until Gus tracks to a door, not part of Jazz’s setup, in the unused fourth floor of the school. Behind the door, they find skeletonized remains whose clothing and jewelry suggest the victim is Bernadette Quinn, a fervent teacher who resigned three years ago. But she has been dead since before the letter was submitted, so who sent the letter? Jazz puts her investigative skills to the test as she seeks answers.
I really enjoyed this book. Bernadette is an unappealing yet interesting victim whose brusque, devout, demanding nature led to many a person with motive to want her dead. The suspects are varied, including estranged family, students, and even the school’s principal (who is also a nun) among others. Jazz unearths many clues along the way, but they do not all fall into place until the book’s final twist and tense climax. The mystery is well thought out and executed, and the pace is brisk.
The characters are finely executed, complex, and engaging. Jazz is clever, quick thinking, and does not take many unnecessary risks. The supporting characters, particularly Sister Eileen, are compelling and fun to get to know. I particularly like the cadaver training aspect, and the inclusion of a rambunctious puppy in the story is never a bad idea to me.
THE SECRETS OF BONES is an excellent mystery with an intriguing “hook”. Highly recommended.
I received an ARC of this title from Minotaur books and voluntarily shared my thoughts here. #minotaurbooks
The Secrets of Bones is a wonderful follow up to The Scent of Murder (Jazz Ramsey #1). This installment finds a much happier version of Jazz dog training her adorable new puppy Wally but that doesn’t stop her from getting involved in another murder mystery. This mystery takes us on a twisted path filled with dead ends and fake trails. I second guessed myself throughout the book. Jazz has wormed a place in my heart and I can’t wait to see what trouble she gets into next.
Thanks to NetGalley & publisher Minotaur Books | St. Martin’s Press for a digital advance reader’s copy. All comments and opinions are my own.
This was a page-turner that kept me on the edge of the couch, the dining room chair, the bed – I read it every chance I got. An exceptional cozy murder mystery, the premise was intriguing and the plot was well thought-out. A dead body is discovered in a little used closet on the 4th floor at St. Catherine’s girls’ school during a demonstration by a cadaver dog. Administrative Assistant Jazz Ramsey recognizes the skeleton as a former teacher who had resigned three years ago. Of course she also realizes the woman was murdered – and Jazz is compelled to help the police solve the crime. Lots of clues, a few possible suspects, plus danger afoot when Jazz gets too close to discovering the secret. This book was several steps above the typical mystery with believable characters, just the right amount of description, good backstory, and a credible outcome. (No spoilers!) And no need to worry if you haven’t read book #1 (neither had I) but I’ll be looking for “The Scent of Murder” because I can’t wait to spend more time with Jazz and author Kylie Logan.
This book has some serious intrigue and mystery here and Jazz wow what a fascinating MC! I love her interactions with her Sister Eileen. I am excited to see how training goes for the new puppy and for Jazz to take him in the field. This book was full of so many twists and turns and much to my surprise I was wrong about where the story would lead. Would definitely read more from this author and I really enjoyed the book! I received this book from NetGalley and St. Martins Press for an honest review.
When Jazz and her cadaver dogs find a real body during a Career Day demonstration, she discovers they’ve stumbled upon a three year old mystery. Jazz is determined to find out what happened and to find the murderer.
An enjoyable second book in the A Jazz Ramsey Mystery series. I really like Jazz and her dogs. And the mystery kept me guessing until the twisty conclusion.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. My thoughts and opinions are my own and without bias or favor.
I enjoyed the first in the series, The Scent of Murder but was disappointed that the cadaver dogs were not a large part of the mystery. After reading this entry and enjoying it just as much, I see that the dogs will probably remain a bit to one side. They find the body and then Jazz takes over. Now that I know that, I can shift my expectations. That’s not a bad thing and I gave this book one more star because the mystery kept me engaged from the start.
Jazz is the administrative assistant to the school head of St. Catherine’s Preparatory Academy for Girls and has a very good relationship with her boss, Sister Eileen Flannery. The day starts out with lots to do and Jazz has to work hard to not let her mind wander to her new pup, Wally, a dog she hope will be trainable as a cadaver dog. Jazz trains them in her spare time. The day will be filled with women from the area giving career advice to the students but one woman is a no show so Jazz is asked to fill in. Borrowing a fully trained cadaver dog, Gus, she goes up to the vacant fourth floor and hides two bones for Gus to find. All goes well as he finds the first hidden bone but then he deviates from the plan and Jazz is shocked when he homes in on a full skeleton hidden in a closet. Even more shocks come when the skeleton turns out to be the remains of a not very well liked, extremely religious nun who taught at St. Catherine’s and was thought to have resigned and left the area. She didn’t leave at all but who, of the many people who disliked her would have killed her and stuffed her in a closet three years ago?
Jazz has a bit more reason to investigate this homicide than I felt she had in the previous book. Not only did she find the body, on school property but the detective assigned to the case doesn’t seem to be up to catching the killer. The mystery was well plotted, there were plenty of twists and red herrings and the writing style flowed smoothly. I will definitely add the next book in the series to my TBR list and keep my fingers crossed that her new pup, Wally, has a bigger role to play in her next investigation.
My thanks to the publisher Minotaur Books and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.
Assembly Day has arrived at St. Catherine’s. One lady that was scheduled to present info on her career is a no show so Jazz is asked to step in. Jazz brings in her new puppy which she is training to be a cadaver dog and Gus a certified cadaver dog. Jazz hides a couple of bones around the classroom. When Gus easily finds the first bone the easily the girls are impressed. When Gus is supposed to find the second bone he confidently goes to a place Jazz didn’t put any bones. Jazz believes he just lost the scent. However, when Jazz checks where Gus has alerted sure enough there is a full skeleton. Is this the skeleton of a monk from decades before or a teacher who went missing just a few years earlier? Can Jazz help find out who the skeleton belongs to and how they ended up in there?
This is a great follow-up to the first book. This can be enjoyed as a stand-alone mystery. The story is well-written with a great plot full of twists and turns. The characters are well-developed and realistic. The chemistry between the regular main and secondary characters is evolving nicely. I am looking forward to the next book in the series.
I voluntarily agreed to read a copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own and in no way have been influenced by anyone.
I absolutely adored the first book in Kylie Logan’s new series. Naturally, when I saw the sequel offered on Netgalley, I jumped to request it. I wasn’t disappointed. Here’s a few reasons why.
Even though the book deals with murder and other unpleasant subjects, this isn’t a “crime novel.” The tone is warm-hearted. Think Alexander McCall-Smith-type warmth, and you’ll get a sense of what I felt as I read.
After reading several harrowing crime novels with gruesome killings and depraved killers, it was nice to read something more gentle. The mystery genre isn’t all darkness and horror. Sometimes it has cute puppies, too.
But make no mistake: this is definitely a murder mystery. Logan deftly balances the warmth with realism. Murder is murder. No one particularly liked Bernadette Quinn, but that doesn’t mean they don’t mourn for her or don’t want the killer caught. Her death disturbs and saddens even Jazz’s boss, the formidable Sister Eileen. And rightfully so: someone murdered a woman and hid her body in an infrequently used part of the school she runs.
Jazz’s investigation is realistic. She’s not a police officer, so when she starts asking questions, she receives a lot of push-back. Not everyone is forthcoming. Not every line of questioning yields readily apparent answers. She’s nosing around, much like the cadaver dogs she trains, and not everyone likes that–including her old/new boyfriend Nick the homicide investigator.
The plot unfolds slowly. There are plenty to keep your attention, though: lots of twists and red herrings!
Logan is excellent at describing human relationships. The all-girls school environment of St. Catherine’s feels real to me. The all-female setting has its perks but there are a lot of the rivalries, alliances, and minor melodramas inherent to teenage society.
It’s refreshing to see a strong and compassionate female in charge, though. Sister Eileen is a gem. Sarah, Jazz’s BFF and the art teacher at St. Catherine’s, is simultaneously adorable, supportive, and vulnerable. Yet neither of them, nor any of the students, can be discounted as possible suspects.
Kylie Logan doesn’t include a lot of backstory. But there’s enough to remind us that Jazz’s father, a firefighter, died in a mysterious arson blaze in recent years; that Jazz has cautiously reunited with her old lover Nick; and various other tidbits about Jazz’s friends and family.
For once, this is a loving, supportive family! But even functional families have squabbles and Logan makes these minor characters interesting without letting them take over the story. Jazz’s emotions at seeing her mother begin to date again feel realistic. She’s watching another man–a lovely, attentive man–taking her late father’s place. Even though the new boyfriend may not be trying to “take” the place of another man, it’s still a struggle to be happy for her mother.
Nick and Jazz have reunited. They’re tiptoeing forward in their relationship, painfully aware of the things that drove them apart and resolving to avoid them. Each time they’re together, there’s tension coupled with desire. But they obviously care deeply for each other in ways that go beyond sexual desire.
Apart from the early chapters, there isn’t as much about cadaver dog training as one might expect. This is a bit disappointing, but the dogs do play key roles at several moments in the book. Logan is obviously an animal lover, though. It shows through her descriptions of dog behavior and reactions. She describes an Airedales’ walk as a combination of “runway strut and goofy clowning around.” That’s a line that only an observant dog-lover could have written.
Highly recommended for anyone who loves mysteries and dogs! 4 1/2 stars rounded up to 5.
Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s/Minotaur press for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This mystery certainly kept my attention. I didn’t realize it’s book two in a series. I hadn’t read book one but I had no problems following this book. I thought the story interesting and enjoyed the twist at the end! Will be watching for more in this series. Thanks to Netgalley for the early copy
I came for the dogs and Cleveland but stayed for due diligence in an unusual whodunit.
Jasmine (Jazz) is an administrative assistant in a religious girls school in Cleveland and in her off hours she trains scent dogs to find human remains. During career day her experienced dog locates the remains of a teacher who was thought to have resigned without leaving a trace. The detective on the case is unimaginative and her former boyfriend, also detective, is disinclined to investigate. But Jazz knew the woman and applies due diligence through all the misdirections and red herrings. Good plot development and engaging characters. Loved it!
I requested and received a free ebook copy from St Martin’s Press/Minotaur Books via NetGalley. Thank you!
Two excellent Nonfiction books about cadaver dogs are: No Stone Unturned by Steve Jackson, and What The Dog Knows by Cat Warren.